Winery - Winery Kornell

WINERY KORNELL

Italy - Dolomites - Alto Adige - Settequerce

Spreading palm trees and hardy conifers share the same piece of land here. Mediterranean southerlies, known as the Ora, compete with dry downslope winds from the north. A good place for growing grapes and making wine, as the ancient Rhaetians realized more than 2,000 years ago. The warming porphyry rock and steeply rising vineyards catch the sun by day and enjoy cool temperatures at night.

“I am fortunate and privileged to be able to continue the historical legacy of my ancestors. For me, Kornell means home; it is my anchor in life. We want our winery to remain a home and source of energy for our children and future generations.”

Florian Brigl

PEOPLE

The young team is characterized – today as it always has been – by their passion for viticulture. The staff of Kornellhof consider themselves life companions of the vines, accompanying them from the moment they were first planted to the harvesting of the grapes and until the wine has ripened in the barrels.

CRAFT

Nothing can be achieved without nature, without the perfect terroir for healthy growth with exciting grapes.
That is the basis of all else. Passion and a huge sense of responsibility characterize the work of Florian Brigl and his young team from the Kornell winery. The result is wines with a Mediterranean flair,unique charm and an indigenous character.

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Florian Brigl

“Even as a boy I wanted to be a vintner. Thanks to my ancestors, I have had the privilege of making my dream come true. Today, with every year that passes, I recognize the importance of a life lived in harmony with nature – and of the legacy I treat with great respect as I pass it on to my children.”

Archaeology

Late Bronze to Iron Age – that is how far back the first vinicultural finds in the area go. The pruning knife from the 3rd century BC testifies to Rhaetian wine growing at Kornell. The hoe from the second half of the first century BC is indicative of early crop growing.

Wine cellars

Meter-thick walls protect the cellars in which the wines mature. Following controlled fermentation in steel vats, this is where they spend between 14 and 18 months aging in barriques and oak barrels and another ten months maturing in bottles.

Vine stakes

Since the 13th century, the topographical name of the land around the Kornell Estate has been “Staves”. The name comes from the Middle High German word “staf”, which is closely related to the English “staff” and was the word for the stakes used to support the vines.

Vines

The Kornell Estate and the region between Settequerce near Terlano and San Maurizio near Bolzano have over 2000 years of wine culture in common. Wine growing was practiced here in the 3rd century BC already.

Castle Greifenstein

aka Pig Castle - is a ruin occupying a majestic position above Kornell. It was built in the 12the century and is now owned by the family.

The Kornell Estate

Kornell’s wine-growing forebears in South Tyrol can be traced back to 1309, while the estate is first mentioned in a document dated 1210. Occupying an idyllic location overlooking Settequerce, it has been in the family since 1927.

STORY

With more than seven hundred years of viniculture behind it, the Kornell Estate has a long history, but the roots of wine growing in the area go back much further. In Settequerce we encounter traces of the Rhaetians and Romans at every turn. Finds of charred seeds, ladles and bronze vessels, hoes and pruning knives from the 5th to the 3rd centuries BC bear witness to a winemaking tradition and wine culture that go back thousands of years.